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Ophiduans
The most ancient of races, the Ophiduans are a society that has existed for untold millennia, going through multiple rises and falls. The current Ophiduan empires of Sytheros and Sytheria are considered parts of the 7th age of Ophiduans. Ophiduan's worry that their race is now in a terminal decline, though some believe they are merely at the lowest nadir of their cycle of destruction and restoration. Society is a ruthless meritocracy. Those that show use and power rise to the top, and those that fail are shunted to the lowest rungs. Ophiduan children are raised communally by brood-keepers, and the concept of family is alien to them, making them highly individualistic. However, they are not necessarily cruel, believing that anyone can turn their lives around with dedication and opportunity. Sytheria and Sytheros are closely aligned, though Sytheros has a more aggressive bent than Sytheria, and Sytheria a more diplomatic outlook. There is tension, but no real bad blood between the two nations, as they prefer to deal with each other than any other nation. Ophiduan obsession with success and self improvement coupled with their tenuous position as a race, has made some Ophiduans incredibly bitter towards other races. There is a small, but not insignificant faction that blames humanity for the breaking, and speaks of a glorious war of genocide. Most Ophiduans see this as ridiculous and unrealistic, but many younger Ophiduans have a sympathetic ear. Sisthassian is a sibilant language that many non-ophiduans find difficult to master, as tone and length of sounds vary wildly in tense and structure. Also, the language uses vocal clicks that are hard to duplicate without Ophiduan vocal cords. Ophiduans are a long lived, but slow breeding race. The typical Ophiduan matures quickly, reaching adulthood at approximately 25 years of age, but they age slowly once mature, staying vital for much longer than any other race. Ophiduans can also fall into a deep torpor for close to a decade, ageing the equivalent of one year physically during this time. It is not unheard of for Ophiduans to reach 4 centuries of age. Physical Description Reptilian scales cover the ophiduans' hairless bodies, and their yellow, slitted eyes and sharp teeth give them a striking appearance. They stand tall, often a head above most humans, but are typically slimmer than humans, being lithe in build. Ophiduans have no ears, and their ridged brows are often what define their face. Most ophiduans are green-scaled, but there are those of blue, purple, black, or yellow in tone, a trait which is often passed along to progeny. The only common color among all ophiduans is the dull grey of their stomachs, which reflects their common ancestry. Male Names Mixal, Xiphoter, Maxev, Ioxua, Iaxot, Nixokas, Antax, Tanix, Tyxor, Kraxan. Female Names Azlei, Iezi, Sazari, Krizani, Emizi, Samazi, Amazi, Kazeri, Mezan, Kriza. Ageing table: Adult: 25 years Middle age: 200 years Old age: 300 years Venerable: 350 years Maximum: 350 + D% *'+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma': Ophiduans are lithe, quick, and intuitive, but cold in demeanor and monstrous in appearance. *'Reptilian Blood': Ophiduans are of the humanoid (reptilian) subtype *'Medium': Ophiduans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. *'Normal Speed': Ophiduans have a base speed of 30 feet. *'Scaled Hide': An ophiduan's skin is hardened scales and grants the character a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. *'Naturally Psionic': Ophiduans gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If an ophiduan takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat. *'Serpent's Bite (Ps)': Once per day, an ophiduan can alter his jaws, gaining a bite attack that deals 1d8 points of damage, plus an extra 1d8 points of damage per fve character levels beyond 1st. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The manifester level is equal to the ophiduan's level. *'Darkvision': Ophiduans can see in the dark up to 60 feet due to heat sensing pits along their jawlines and psionic senses. *'Poison Resistant': Ophiduans gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. *'Psionic Aptitude': When an ophiduan takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point. *'Weapon Familiarity': Ophiduans treat any weapon with the word “ophiduan” in the name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic one. *'Languages': Ophiduans begin play speaking Common and Ophiduan.